


Daffodil

by Kangoo



Series: April Bouquet [10]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, but please be aware that in my heart they are married, relationship can be seen as romantic or platonic, saint says: dont be a dick in trials or face my wrath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:34:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23581696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kangoo/pseuds/Kangoo
Summary: Soviet morning calisthenics with Saint-14
Relationships: Osiris/Saint-14 (implied)
Series: April Bouquet [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685779
Comments: 9
Kudos: 56





	Daffodil

**Author's Note:**

> once again, i am Late
> 
> Story inspired (and summarized by) the wonderful quote from the wonderful webcomic [Check, Please!](https://www.checkpleasecomic.com/)
> 
> theme: respect

Saint-14 has been busy since he came back. One would think coming back to life would be a good enough reason for him to take a break, get himself acquainted with the changes in the City, but no. Barely a few weeks since his miraculous escape from the Infinite Forest and here he is.

Leading the Trials of Osiris.

Torturing Guardians with exercise.

The two are connected, but not in the way you’d expect. The Trials are wildly popular: there’s nothing Guardians love more than fighting each other for glory, and a little more challenge is always welcome. But where Shaxx keeps an iron fist over the Crucible, physically Sol-hammering the rules into the heads of cheaters, Saint has taken to a more… creative approach to disciplinary actions.

(That’s where the torture comes in. Who knew the Hero of Six Fronts had such a mean streak?)

The few Guardians gathered today at the godless hour of four in the morning know _exactly_ what they’ve done. Tea-bagging enemies, cheating, going to Saint to complain about a defeat — sore losers are a thing, but he draws the line at Guardians bothering _him_ with their wounded ego. What they don’t know is what Saint expects them to do.

The man himself is waiting for them once they reach their meeting spot in the hangar. He looks to be in a very good mood despite the very early morning — or rather a very late night at this point — but that might be due to the coffee mug he’s carrying and occasionally taking a sip from. From the mumbling going through the small crowd of assembled Guardians, the general consensus is that murder would be happily and enthusiastically committed for some of that coffee.

They all gather before Saint in a loose group not unlike a colony of penguins trying to ward off the cold. A few of them are still grumbling. Most glares sullenly at the Titan, wondering what the summon was for. They’ve all, for the most part, experienced or seen Shaxx’s punishment for misdemeanors before. They’re hoping Saint will be nicer.

Idiots.

In their distraction they don’t immediately notice him putting his cup down next to himself and straightening to his full height.

“Guardians!” Saint booms. The sound echoes in the silent hanger. Immediately, as if responding to a forgotten, lizard brain instinct, the Guardians shut their mouths and stand at attention, backs military-straight. “You know why I have summoned you here.”

Oh, _they know._ By now they’re spooked enough that they don’t dare shift on their feet in shame, but the grimaces and the way some hisses through their teeth is enough of a tell. He nods with a grim sort of satisfaction.

“Today, I will teach you to do better. To _be_ better.” That’s very inspiring. A few of the Guardians foolishly let a glimmer of hope brighten their tired eyes. “But betterment of the spirit… it is not enough. A strong mind requires a strong body to carry it, yes?” They nod with no small amount of dread. “And strength, it needs pain to grow. To develop.”

Saint cracks his knuckles. Someone in the crowd gulps audibly.

“Today, I intend to make you _very strong_.”

Osiris is… somewhat ashamed of it, but of the two of them he’s the one who’s had the hardest time adapting to Saint’s return from beyond the grave. It’s taken him months to get used to the idea enough to bear talking to the man, and even then it was only through letters that Sagira had to bully him into writing.

He’d never admit it, but he’s afraid that he’ll try to go to Saint and his oldest friend will be gone, maybe he was never back at all, maybe it was all another timeline Osiris stumbled into, never to come true. Even worse: he’d be there, but he’d look at Osiris with anger and resentment, would blame him for his demise, would want nothing to do with him for as long as the two of them continued to live.

It’s stupid. He knows it, Sagira knows it and reminds him constantly, and if Saint knew about the reason for his reluctance — he has the uncomfortable feeling he _does_ — he’d absolutely call him an idiot for it. But he can’t help it. And he can’t face Saint. Not yet.

He’s not _running away_ , he’s just… busy. So is Saint.

After a while though, he can’t help but send an Echo to check on him at the Lighthouse. See how he’s settling. It’s not the real thing, or at least not the way Saint would like it to be — and he tells him so as soon as he sees the shimmering form of his Echo materializing next to him — but it’s better than nothing, and it settles the anxiety in Osiris’ chest somewhat.

 _Baby steps_ , Sagira tells him, before ruthlessly mocking him for it.

Thing is, once he’s done it once, he can’t stop. It’s soothing to have that level of distance with Saint while still being able to check on him, talk to him. See how he’s doing and remind himself, _yes, he’s alive, he’s fine, you did it_.

Saint takes it with his usual level of grace. Meaning: he doesn’t comment on it too much, but there’s a look in his eyes that tells Osiris that when he comes back, he’s gonna hear about it at great length. Saint is never letting him forget this.

He thinks, by the time he comes back, he will be ready for it. He might even be _glad_ , for the fifteen minutes it takes him to be done with Saint’s relentless mockery. There’s a reason Sagira and him got along so well back in the days: they’ve always loved making Osiris’ life a living hell.

In the meantime though, the Echoes will have to do.

Saint doesn’t react when the Echo steps into existence next to him. The Guardians briefly stop at the flash of golden light, risk a glance up, and hurriedly go back to their push-ups at double pace. He takes a sip of his cup then, when he’s sure they won’t slack off as soon as he turns his back on them, he looks at the piece of Osiris standing at his side.

He’s observing the Guardians with something like puzzlement, though he would hide it well from anyone but Saint, who knows him too well.

“Much has changed in my absence if you’re now making social calls, old friend,” he says. He can’t help the smile that comes to him as he speaks. He’s in a great mood, and poking fun at Osiris is only making it better.

“A lot has changed,” Osiris agrees absently. He nods towards the Guardians. A few look queasy from the exertion. The sun is starting to rise, pale light shining through the shimmering form of the Echo: they’ve been at it for a while. “What are they doing?”

“What I tell them to, mostly.”

“Already going mad with power, are you?”

Saint shakes his head with a rueful chuckle. “I didn’t like the way they acted in the Trials. I thought I’d teach them a lesson in respect.” Then, when the Guardians seem to be getting a little too comfortable with their situation, “One hand now!”

They all put a hand behind their back with a speed born of rightful fear for their lives.

Osiris huffs softly, obviously amused despite himself. He settles to watch, leaning so close to Saint he’s almost warm. Discreetly he reaches for Saint’s mug, who snatches it before he can get his hands on it.

“If you want to steal my drinks, you’ll have to do it in a body that can actually drink,” he grouches before taking a sip, leveling Osiris with a pointed look.

“That one at the back is slacking off,” he says instead of making any kind of meaningful reply.

Saint lets it pass if only because he has more pressing matters to attend to.

“You are not taking this seriously enough. Give me a hundred more push-ups. Yes, all of you!”

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact: a group of penguins can also be called a Waddle.
> 
>  _" I've heard it said that we gain wisdom through suffering- and tonight I intend to make you very wise."_ \- Megatron
> 
> come haunt me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/2Fast2Kangoo) or [tumblr](https://youngster-monster.tumblr.com/)


End file.
